Stutzman is the only member of the historic 2010 class running for leadership after the surprise primary upset of Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, which sent the GOP leadership structure into disarray.

Stutzman is close with House conservatives, which could dip into the constituency Scalise is counting on to vote for him in order to best Roskam. Scalise rubbed many of them the wrong way when he upset their preferred candidate, Rep. Tom Graves of Georgia, to become Republican Study Committee chairman.